Healing Wounds
by les4love
Summary: [Sequal to Fresh Wounds] Elliot and Casey start a family, while Alex and Olivia seem to be falling apart. As Casey finds new ways to pull Elliot closer, Olivia pushes Alex away; how strong do two people have to be to make it through earth shattering revelations and learn to love more than feel pain.
1. Chapter 1

Casey waddled into the squad room; her pregnant belly was so big that no one quite knew how to handle her being at work. She smiled at Olivia, knowing how disapproving she was of Casey refusing to quit working until she was literally in the middle of labor. Casey refused to meet Elliot's eyes, knowing that his level of disapproval was far higher and he was much more verbal. She gave the squad room a dazzling smile and disappeared into her office to review case files that had been piling up on her desk.

She looked up as her door opened slowly and then clicked closed, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling when she looked up to see Alex standing in the doorway. "Alex, is everything okay?"

Alex nodded, her face clearly showing anxiety and fear. "I may or may not have ruined my relationship."

Casey's smile quickly faded and her eyebrows shot up. "What did you do?"

Alex squeezed her eyes shut and sat down on the floor, blocking the door with her body. "I'm pregnant."

Casey wasn't sure how to react, it was happy news but unexpected. And, unexpected news like this, in a lesbian relationship, was never good. "How are you pregnant?"

Alex instantly started crying and shook her head. "A few months ago, while Olivia was out of town for that undercover job, when I first went back to work, I met this guy and he was sweet and gorgeous and wonderful and he gave me all this attention that I was missing because Olivia was gone. And, one thing led to another and we had sex. We used a condom and of course I didn't think anything was going to come of it. But I never told Olivia and now…I'm pregnant. At first I thought something about the cancer was stopping my period but that stick definitely said I'm pregnant and the doctor confirmed it this morning. What on earth am I going to do?"

Casey let out a sigh, "Abortion?" She offered the word with an intense question in her voice.

Alex gazed at her with teary eyes, "Would it be fair of me to give this up when I can't exactly have a happy accident like you two did."

Casey stood up, slowly and awkwardly, and made her way to Alex. She put a gentle hand on her shoulder and whispered, "You need to tell Olivia; only you two can work this out in a way that will offer any sort of resolution."

Alex stood up quickly and shook her head. "I can't do that. Not yet. Please don't tell her, I couldn't bear it if she heard from anyone else."

Casey nodded and watched as Alex slipped back out of her office and walked down the hall without being noticed. She couldn't bear holding in that knowledge, knowing the implications, but she wasn't sure what could possibly be done. Casey didn't even know for sure if she could tell Elliot without him turning around and telling Olivia. They were best friends, partners, practically family and she wasn't sure that he would be able to live with knowing that he was keeping anything from her. She shook her head and decided the best thing to do at this point was just wait and see what Alex was going to do; if she decided to terminate the pregnancy then the issue would be moot, but if she kept the baby…Casey sighed and blinked hard to get the thought out of her head. Just as she was mentally chastising herself for stressing herself out over something that she could neither control nor change, she felt a sharp pain in her hips and her beautiful silk skirt was suddenly soaked. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, thinking she must have peed herself, so she tried to lower herself into a chair for a moment. Just as she was sitting herself down, another pain shot through her and forced a pained moan. She shouted Elliot's name between her labored breathing, hoping that she wouldn't have to go out to the squad room to get him.

Elliot opened the door gently but upon seeing her on the floor he started shouting for Olivia and began helping her stand back up. "Casey, honey why didn't you tell me that your water broke, we should have left right then." He looked over his shoulder and shouted again, "Liv, hurry up!"

Casey laughed at him, thinking to herself how cute it was that he was getting frantic as he waited for Olivia and Casey to meet in the hall. She shooed his hand away from her, silently insisting that she could walk on her own. She walked slowly to the elevator, allowing Elliot to mutter to himself as he swung the go-bag over his shoulder and frantically pressed the button over and over. "Elliot, that isn't going to make the elevator go any faster, it will be okay. I literally just went into labor, the contractions are still pretty far apart and-" She doubled over as she tried to catch her breath, allowing a few labored moans of pain escape her.

The elevator door opened and Elliot scooped Casey up into his arms and pressed the button with his elbow. He refused to put her down, insisting that she couldn't walk, walking as brusquely as he could with a full grown, pregnant woman in his arms.

_._._._

Alex sat with her head hung in her hands; she had no idea what she was going to do. She could hardly just come out and tell Olivia and she couldn't just pretend the issue didn't exist. She knew that this would be an issue that would take serious work to fix, after everything that Olivia had suffered through with her, it hardly seemed fair that Olivia would have to go through this too.

She looked up as Olivia walked in the front door; she dropped her keys on the table and shrugged off her jacket. As she walked over to Alex to kiss her hello, she saw the red rims of her eyes, the marks of dried tears and Olivia's face instantly lit up with worry. "Alex, baby, what's wrong? Do you need to go to a doctor?"

Alex shook her head quickly, "I went to the doctor today."

Olivia furrowed her brow and clasped one of Alex's hands in her own. "What is it?"

Alex gazed into Olivia's eyes, trying to predict how severe the reaction would be. "I'm pregnant."

And Alex instantly regretting letting the words leave her mouth.


	2. Fighting

Olivia stared at Alex, shock written so clearly across her face. She let go of Alex's hands, dropping them back into Alex's lap and sat down in front of her. "What do you mean you're pregnant? How is that even possible?"

Alex's gaze blurred as tears welled up behind her eyes. "Liv I – I don't even know how it happened, it was so stupid – I was so stupid."

Olivia stared at Alex, her mouth open, anger quickly replacing the shock. "How is it possible Alex? Say it."

Alex wiped her eyes and looked down at Olivia, "You were undercover and so I went out one night to take my mind off the loneliness. Casey was busy and of course Elliot was with you, so I was on my own – I just went to a bar and I guess I didn't know how hard the alcohol was hitting me and – Liv I am so sorry and you being gone isn't an excuse – he was attractive and nice and before I knew it we were back at his hotel room and – I couldn't even think and before I even registered what was going on it was over and I came home. I wanted to pretend it didn't happen but now – I just – Olivia please."

Olivia sighed and let her body flop backwards on the living room floor. She covered her face with her hands and mumbled into her olive skin, "How could you do this Alex?"

Alex slid her body off the couch and lay down next to Olivia, resting her head on Olivia's shoulder. "It was a horrible mistake. I can hardly bear knowing that I did it. Please forgive me Olivia, please don't go?"

Olivia lowered her hands and turned her head to look at Alex. It nearly gave Alex a heart attack to look into Olivia's eyes. They were cold and hard, nothing like the warm, honey brown that had always lured Alex in. "I'm not leaving."

Alex stared at Olivia, it was obvious that she was not forgiven and that Olivia was more upset than she had ever been throughout their relationship, but she wasn't leaving. Alex couldn't figure it out, why wasn't she leaving if she didn't want to be near her either? Olivia slid her shoulder out from underneath Alex's head and sat up. She looked down at Alex, still lying on the floor staring at her. "I promised you I wouldn't just give up, no matter what. And this situation is no different than any other. I am pissed, beyond belief and I can't believe you would betray my trust, our relationship like that. You were so careless, just to try to forget a little loneliness? What did you think I was doing while I was undercover, hanging out with a brothel full of women?"

Alex shook her head and swallowed her tears, "I just hope you can forgive me."

Olivia frowned and stood up, helping Alex to her feet. "Come on, let's go to bed. You need to rest, especially now."

Alex let Olivia lead her to the bedroom and they changed into sleep clothes silently. Alex lay down in her normal spot, closer to the middle of the bed than the edge. Olivia lay down next to her, careful not to let their bodies touch, and rolled away from Alex. Alex let a tear slip down her cheek and pressed a hand to her stomach. Just as she could feel herself drifting off to sleep, Olivia's voice cracked into the haze. "Just because we didn't plan this, just because it came from a mistake, doesn't mean this child isn't mine just as much as yours."

Alex could feel her lips twitch into a small smile. Even when she was speaking to her with anger and hurt, Olivia never failed to show Alex how much she loved her.

_._._._

Casey smiled as she watched Elliot croon over their beautiful baby girl. She was wrapped up in a pink blanket, a tiny bundle of helpless noises and fragile movements. She couldn't believe how long labor lasted, 57 hours of pain, screaming and crying. There was even a moment that she wanted to climb out of the bed and strangle Elliot for telling her to keep calm and breath.

"Look at her, she's so tiny. I don't remember Alex being this small. He was a chunky boy, but she is so tiny." He looked up at Casey with a big grin, every time he looked at her, she only loved him more.

"Is it my turn yet?" She couldn't help but giggle as he looked at her and shook his head. "You're being greedy. You do have to share; she needs mommy time you know." Elliot gave the baby a small kiss on her nose and slowly handed her to Casey. His hand lingered under the baby, making contact with Casey's. Even after all this time, his touch still sent shivers up her spine and made her want more.

She stared down at the baby and grinned at her pretty pink cheeks. It was amazing how beautiful of a thing could be made by two people; even more amazing was how fragile she seemed to be. They had fought about baby names throughout the entire pregnancy, but the moment they saw her, her name became so clear. Elizabeth Marie Stabler, a perfect mix of family names and a name to truly live up to.

_._._._

Alex rolled over and let her eyes open slowly, she expected to see Olivia lying in bed beside her, just like every other morning, but she was alone. Memories of the night before flooded her brain and Alex shot up in bed, panicking almost instantly. She looked around the room, for any sign that Olivia had left, then closed her eyes and listened intently for the sounds of movement in the house. She bolted out of bed and forced herself to walk, not run, to the kitchen. She breathed a huge sigh of relief as she heard Olivia rustling around in the fridge, and she had to physically stop herself from running to her when she saw that Olivia was cooking breakfast.

She didn't seem like the type, but Olivia loved to cook. The trick was that she didn't like to shop for food; the abhorrence was so strong that Olivia would go hungry before stepping foot in a grocery store. So Alex learned that as long as she kept food in the house, Olivia would feed them both with her skillful cooking.

Alex sat down quietly and watched as Olivia cracked eggs into a bowl of what she presumed was muffin mix. Olivia had a habit of keeping baked breakfast goods around the house, particularly muffins. Alex knew that she would never have to worry about eating something in the morning as long as she and Olivia were living together. And, if Alex had her way, she and Olivia would always live together. "Good morning, Liv."

Olivia glanced up at her but didn't smile. "Morning. Sleep well?"

Her clipped tone and short response made Alex worry but she pressed on, refusing to be intimidated by Olivia's intimidating attitude. "I did, but I didn't wake up very well."

Olivia flicked her eyes up at Alex but didn't respond.

"When you weren't in bed next to me, I thought you had gotten up and left without saying anything. After last nights – our conversation, I thought that you had just left."

Olivia stopped and put her whisk down. She gazed at Alex with intense patience in her eyes, "Alex, I am not leaving. I am very upset, yes, but I am not leaving. I meant what I said last night. We have worked through far too much to just let it go. Especially when a child could be involved."

Alex could feel the tears welling up behind her eyes. "You haven't even asked about it."

Olivia sighed and dropped a fist on the counter, "I need time, and you can't just expect me to automatically be happy and curious about conception."

Alex felt a tear slip down her cheek, stood up and walked back to the bedroom.


	3. Possession

Olivia sighed and momentarily thought about going after her. She knew that Alex was upset, but she also knew that Alex was going to be hormonal and emotional due to the pregnancy. Olivia at least knew enough to know that the first few months would be awful until they got used to the changes in Alex's moods and emotions. She finished mixing and poured the mix into the muffin pan and slid it into the oven. She walked to the back of the office to find Alex lying in bed, crying. She sat down next to her and sighed, "Okay. Tell me about it."

Alex wiped her eyes and gazed up at her. "Why do you want to know? You can't be happy about it just yet, right?"

Olivia gave her a small smile and ran a hand through her pretty blonde hair. "I also shouldn't be upsetting you over this, so, without detail about him, tell me about it. I want to know what happened."

Alex stared at her with hard blue eyes and pursed her lips together. "I was sitting at the bar, sipping on a daiquiri, and he sat down next to me. He had long, chestnut brown hair and dark brown eyes. He looked like a male version of you. He told me how pretty I was, how he could see that I was missing someone. And when he touched my hand I felt so…comforted. So, I let him take me back to his hotel room. And by the time I was coming back to being sensible, I just wanted it to be over. It started out feeling safe and comforting but then…I don't know why I thought it could be anything I enjoyed when I know that I don't like men. I kept thinking that it wasn't you and I just wanted it to be over. So I let him finish and kissed his cheek and left."

Olivia was still looking at her, a small frown knitting her brow. "Why didn't you tell me, Alex?"

She covered her face with a pillow and mumbled through it. "I didn't want you to leave."

Olivia yanked the pillow away and pulled Alex's face to hers. She pressed her body against Alex's and gripped her hip as she pulled her closer.

Alex moaned beneath her. She had never seen Olivia act this way, she had never felt Olivia touch her out of raw anger and frustration, but she had no choice but to respond to Olivia by moving her hips in welcoming and arching her back until Olivia's chest was pressed against hers. Alex reached up and laced her fingers into Olivia's hair, but Olivia pulled her hands away and pressed her wrists into the mattress above her head. Alex let out a small whimper against Olivia's mouth but she could feel her body responding. She knew that the need and the hurt were taking control and she wouldn't be able to stop Olivia from doing it this way. Alex knew that Olivia would never force her; she would never keep going if Alex said no. But Alex didn't want her to stop; in fact, stopping was the last thing that Alex could ever want.

Olivia gripped Alex's hands in one of hers and used her other hand to stroke Alex's cheek gently. She let her hand trail down Alex's neck and chest, across her breast and over her ribs. As Olivia's hand reached Alex's hips, Alex shivered beneath her touch, pulling a smile out of Olivia. Olivia stared down at Alex and the smile disappeared from her face. "Tell me you love me."

Alex's eyes widened and she whispered, "I love you."

Olivia shoved Alex's shirt up over her chest and said, "Tell me you're sorry."

Alex nodded and moaned, "I'm so sorry Liv."

Olivia's hand crept into the waistband of Alex's panties. "Tell me you want me."

Alex gasped as she felt Olivia's finger brush her lower lips. She moaned and whispered, "Oh, I want you."

Olivia dipped a finger inside of Alex, "Say my name."

Alex closed her eyes and gasped, but she couldn't form a word as she lost herself in the finger. Olivia dipped her finger deeper but lowered her tone. "Open your eyes and say my name."

Alex forced her eyes to flutter open and, with a raspy breath, let Olivia's name slip through her beautiful pink lips. Olivia rested her forehead on Alex's chest and pulled her nipple into her mouth as she slipped another finger inside of her. Alex let out a loud moan and tried to pull her hands free. But Olivia pressed them harder into the mattress and pressed a third finger into Alex. She let Alex's nipple slip through her teeth and looked up at Alex. Alex met her eyes and was shocked at what she saw; Olivia's eyes were hard and distant, yet filled with a fire that Alex had never seen before. They were angry, hurt and intense. Alex could feel a chill run through her body. For a moment, she was actually frightened of what she saw in Olivia's eyes, but as Olivia continued to move her fingers inside of Alex she couldn't think of anything but letting Olivia own her. Alex knew that Olivia wanted to possess her, to make sure that Alex felt her inside of every inch of her body. She knew that Olivia wanted to make sure that Alex knew that her body belonged to her, that she could do anything she wanted to Alex and she would be powerless to stop Olivia. Olivia made sure that Alex could feel how much stronger she was, how much bigger she was and Alex was intensely turned on by it.

Olivia loosened her grip on Alex's wrists, "Don't touch me. Do you understand?" Alex nodded and moaned as Olivia gave her fingers one more deep thrust inside of Alex before she pulled them out and wiped them quickly on her shirt. She reached around to her back pocket and pulled her pocket knife out. She flicked it open and held it for a moment for Alex to see it. Alex's mouth opened and she sucked in a shallow breath. Olivia raised an eyebrow at her and lowered the knife to her shirt. Alex lay still, breathing fast and shallow as Olivia cut her shirt off and tossed the ribbons to the side. She then started slowly cutting the lace of Alex's panties. She cut holes, but not enough to make them fall apart, until she was tired of teasing Alex with the knife. She grasped the lace and ripped it apart, then tossed the lace pieces of the pretty grey lace onto Alex's chest. She watched the rise and fall of Alex's chest, gazing at her body as Alex lay beneath her. "What do you want, Alex?"

She let out a short breath, almost a sob and pressed her eyes shut. "I want you, Liv. Please, I want you."

Olivia bit her lip and crawled over Alex's body until they were face to face. She pressed her lips to Alex's, communicating need and love on top of the anger and hurt that Olivia had made very clear. She reached up and took one of Alex's hands and brought it down her face. She placed it on her cheek and pressed it there, allowing Alex to bring her other hand to slide into her hair and grip her scalp. Olivia laid her entire body on top of Alex's and pressed, hard against her. Alex moaned into Olivia's mouth and slithered a hand down Olivia's back and under her shirt. Olivia pulled away and quickly swiped her shirt off and then allowed her body to drop back to Alex's. Alex wrapped her legs around Olivia's hips and let her hands move instantly to Olivia's chest. Olivia put a hand on Alex's chest and pushed her into the bed. She pulled her hips out of Alex's leg lock and lowered her face to Alex's hips. She kept the hand on Alex's chest, but didn't protest to Alex's hands running through her hair. Alex raised her hips as Olivia pressed her mouth to Alex's mound. She moaned, letting out a relieved sigh as she arched her back to give Olivia's tongue better access.

Olivia dipped her fingers into Alex as she continued to work with her mouth. She brought her other hand down and wrapped her arm around Alex's hips to keep her from moving. Alex gripped Olivia's hair, tightly, encouraging her to move her fingers harder. Olivia dug deeper with her fingers, moving them hard and rough. Her tongue flicked back and forth over Alex's bud, pressing hard circles into the sensitive area. Alex moaned, louder with every stroke of Olivia's skilled fingers and she fought against Olivia's arm keeping her hips still. She pulled her hands out Olivia's hair and twisted them into the bed sheet, as she arched her back higher she pressed her eyes closed and lifted her head back as she tried to breathe through the waves of pleasure that were building inside her. Olivia moved her fingers harder and faster, trying to press them so deep into Alex's pussy that Alex forgot about the man who got her pregnant. She felt Alex tensing around her fingers, so she started moving her tongue harder and getting rougher with her fingers, until she heard Alex moan in release and her pussy starting clenching and letting go around her fingers.

Olivia waited until Alex finished writhing on the bed and her moans had stopped, then she slowly slipped her fingers out of her and stared down at her as Alex tried to come back to reality.

"I'm sorry, Alex." Alex frowned at her, but before she could ask, Olivia stood up and went to the bathroom.


	4. Changes

Alex rolled her eyes and slammed the tea kettle down on the stove. She wheeled around to see Olivia, staring at her with a stoic face. "Do not look at me like that Olivia, like I am some small child throwing a fit."

"Stop trying to break my copper kettle and I won't look at you like a child."

Alex threw her hands in the air and raised her voice, "You can't even actually be angry at me! You should be angry, Liv, you should be pissed. The only thing I ever do that gets any kind of rise out of you is when I start breaking things in your kitchen. You screamed at the oven when your muffins burnt but you can't even be angry at me for cheating on you and getting knocked up? What the hell is that?"

Olivia sighed and shrugged, but she wasn't prepared for how quickly Alex crossed the kitchen to stand less than a foot from her. Alex raised a finger and pressed it into Olivia's chest. "What the hell do I have to do to make you feel anything concerning me, Olivia?"

Olivia tried to take a step back but found her back against the island. She looked to the side and realized that she couldn't just slip around the corner and away from Alex. "Please, step back, Alex."

Alex laughed mockingly, "So you don't want to be near me but you can't be angry? You're pathetic."

She pressed her finger a little harder into Alex's chest and Olivia snatched her wrist. She twisted, manipulating Alex into ending up bent over the kitchen counter, smiling slightly as her face pressed into the cool marble counter top. "Do not, ever again, talk to me like that. If I don't want to be mad, I don't have to be and you don't get to pick at me until you get a reaction out of me. Do you understand me?"

Alex sighed, inaudibly, as she felt her panties dampen. She didn't know why, but ever since Olivia had fucked her out of anger, Alex couldn't get enough of pissing Olivia off. And she knew, Olivia would use sex to show Alex who had control. They both knew that when it came down to it, Alex would bend to Olivia every time, with the right motivation. "Fuck you, Olivia."

Olivia pulled Alex's skirt up above her ass, stopping for a moment to glance at the pink boy shorts in appreciation of the way they made Alex's ass look. Then she pulled them down roughly and fisted a handful of Alex's hair. She pulled Alex's hair back, hard, and she slid a finger up the slit of Alex's wet pussy. "How about I fuck you? The thought is much more appealing, especially since you'll give it up any time."

Alex felt a twinge of pain at Olivia's words, she knew the last comment was a bit far but she didn't expect Olivia to get angry so quickly. But her thoughts quickly faded as felt Olivia's fingers toying with her clit. She moaned, letting Olivia know that she was enjoying herself, begging for more. She slid her finger inside Alex's pussy and pressed her hips against her ass and moved it inside her. She slid in a second and then a third and kept moving against Alex, with her hair curled into her fist and pulling her head back as her body pressed into the counter. She moved exactly how she knew Alex liked it, rough and hard until she felt Alex clench up around her fingers. Alex's release was explosive, she cried out, whimpering and gasping for air as the orgasm ripped through her. Olivia moved inside her until Alex was moaning and grinding her ass against Olivia's hand, asking for more, despite the breathtaking orgasm that she had just experienced. Olivia let go of her hair and reached around to pinch Alex's nipple through her silk blouse. Alex let out a loud moan and arched her back so that her chest was pressed harder against Olivia's hand. Olivia put a hand on her shoulder and forced her to stand, withdrawing her fingers from Alex's pussy. Alex whimpered in protest but Olivia put her thumb in Alex's mouth and turned her around to face her. Olivia pushed her against the island, forcing Alex to lean back against it until she needed to support herself with her arms on the counter top. Olivia pulled her legs apart and slid her fingers back inside her. She left her finger in Alex's mouth, using the leverage to keep Alex in the uncomfortable position on the counter as she fucked her pussy with her fingers.

Alex tried to slide her body up onto the counter but Olivia pinned her body against the counter with her hips and continued to drive her fingers in and out of Alex's wet pussy. Alex let her head drop back as Olivia leaned over and placed small bites along her arms and lower ribs through her shirt. Olivia's fingers moved fast, hard, in and out of Alex's body as if she were trying to break Alex. She placed a good, hard bite on Alex's breast, just below the nipple and drove her fingers, hard, into Alex. Alex instantly came, feeling the orgasm course through her body so quickly that it paralyzed her. Alex struggled to breathe as Olivia's fingers moved inside her, sending waves of pleasure through her that rendered her completely helpless. It seemed to last forever until Alex let her body lay back on the counter, limp and out of breath.

Olivia took a step back and pulled Alex's skirt back down. "This can't be good for you while you're pregnant. I don't know why you provoke me."

Alex smiled without trying to look up at Olivia. "Because I love when you get like that."

Olivia raised her brows, "You love when I get so angry that I fuck you into submission?"

"Yes."

Olivia shook her head and helped Alex stand up. "Go lay down, I'm sure you need to sleep after that, and I need to get to work."

Alex let Olivia help her to bed and smiled as Olivia kissed her forehead. She knew that they weren't quite back to normal; their relationship was utterly fucked up from all they had been through, but the changes were good. Olivia was dominating, even slightly controlling, and she was more than ready to assert that control whenever Alex challenged it. They had given up on therapy after the first session when the doctor had told them that their version of makeup sex wasn't healthy and that they needed to talk more. Olivia never yelled, she never broke things and she never made Alex fear for her wellbeing. If anything, Alex felt safer than she had in years. She watched Olivia leave with a smile on her face, she knew that they were in for a bumpy, but fun ride in the next few months.


	5. Thoughts

Alex sat, staring at Casey and her baby girl. After three days of petty arguments, Casey and Elliot had decided on Elizabeth Marie Stabler. "Elliot really loves her, right?"

Casey nodded and smiled down at the baby.

"Even though she wasn't intentional, he doesn't care?"

Casey looked up at Alex, her smile fading. "Yes, of course, why do you ask?"

Alex gave her a small smile and shrugged, "I don't know if Olivia is going to love my baby."

Casey frowned at her and scooted a little closer on the couch, "Do you want to hold Lizzie? She can make you feel better."

Alex nodded and took the baby. "She had no choice but to accept me being pregnant, she didn't have any say in the situation and I really just sprang it on her."

Casey tilted her head and let her hand wander to Alex's shoulder. "She's still here, right? She didn't leave you, she didn't move out and get a new girlfriend, and she stayed with you. So she must have some love for this baby. I'm sure she's excited; she just needs to get to the point of not caring about what happened."

Alex looked up at Casey, her blue eyes glossing over with tears. "I really hope you're right. She and I have gotten so good at pretending that nothing is wrong. We've gotten so good at taking our emotions out on sex; she dominates and I submit and everything seems to be right again. But that only lasts for a little while. By the next day, the tension will be back and I don't know what to do except to pick a fight with her until she uses sex to shut me up. And I love it, which is more than likely the worst part of it. I love that she takes her anger out on me like that; that she uses sex to remind me where I stand in our relationship. Honestly, I love where I stand in our relationship. I love that she has that power over me. I love that I have no footing to hold myself as an equal to her." Alex gazed at Casey intently, "Isn't that just the strangest thing?"

Casey gave her a strange smile and shook her head. "No, it isn't. It sounds like you are one kinky lay, Alex. But, you and Olivia will fix your relationship in your own way, and if this is it then who am I to say that your way is wrong? Who is anyone to tell you that your method of repairing your relationship is the wrong one?"

Alex smiled a real smile that Casey didn't have to question.

_._._._

"How is the bliss of a newborn? Peaceful and rested?"

Elliot laughed and shook his head. "No, unless you consider crying in the night and dirty diapers peaceful. How about you? I hear Alex has a bun in the oven."

Olivia looked at him with sharp eyes that silenced him almost instantly, "Yes, she is."

Elliot caught the hint in her gaze and changed the subject, "Lizzie is wonderful though. Even when she's crying, she makes me love her more and more every moment." He laughed quietly, "I even get jealous when Casey is holding her; although I'm not sure which one I'm jealous of. I love them both so much."

Olivia looked up at him and smiled. "I hope I love mine that much. I'm just not sure yet."

"You will. You'll fall in love the moment you see it, regardless of who biologically created it. You'll see." He leaned back in his chair and smiled at her, "Just wait, stick it out long enough to get there."

Olivia flopped down in her chair and closed her eyes. "I am trying so hard to just forgive her; I am trying so hard to just let it go and be happy. But when I look at her all I see is her being with some man that I don't even know. If she wanted to go out and fuck some guy, she could have just told me. Hell she could have fucked you for all I care, but she hid it from me until she found out that she's pregnant and now has no choice but to tell me. If she was that lonely, she should have told me. I wouldn't have cared if she had just told me."

Elliot stared at her with his eyebrows raised. "I think that is the most I have ever gotten from you in a single statement."

"Shut up. I'm serious."

He grinned at her, "And now we are back to short sentences. I thought we were getting somewhere." He laughed at the look on her face and shrugged. "Are you guys still having sex?"

Olivia grinned, "Yes, we are. I mean it is strange sex but sex." Elliot opened his mouth to say something but Olivia kept talking; she couldn't seem to stop herself. "She likes to pick fights with me so that I'll hold her down and fuck her. She likes when I get angry and take it out on her body. I like it, but I don't think a pregnant woman should be having rough sex. I also think that she's starting to pick fights for that specific purpose and I can't tell if we're on the way to being completely happy again."

Elliot couldn't help but laugh at Olivia. "You're worried that the amount of sex you and Alex are having is literally preventing the two of you from being happy and getting past this small bump in your relationship. Do you realize how stupid that sounds? I mean, do you have any idea how that sounds, Olivia?"

She frowned at him, but the point was made, and it was made well. Olivia knew that she was overthinking, but it wasn't easy for her to just let it go. Alex had broken the most cardinal rule of their relationship, not by cheating, but by covering it up and waiting to tell her until there wasn't a choice left. Olivia wasn't hurt because of the cheating, or because of the baby; she was hurt because of the cover up.


End file.
